Save the date: Island Wine Fest is Coming!

I am a huge fan of Ohio’s Lake Erie Islands. I love everything about them: taking the ferry to get there, the golf cart transportation, the quaint little towns, the food, the whole “island” feel. There is little they could do to make me enjoy them more… unless they held a wine festival.

Oh wait.  They do!!! To be a bit more specific, it’s called Island Wine Fest and this year it’s being held on Saturday October 4^th, from 11am-6pm in Put In Bay on South Bass Island. Once again, I will be attending the Festival with some of my favorite Winey Girlfriends. Because if a girls’ night out is a good thing, a girls’ day at a wine festival is a great thing.

The festival, which is held on the grounds of the Put-In-Bay Winery, is going to feature over 400 wines. 400!!! Boggles the mind, doesn’t it? Anyway, the wines come from all over the world, including the Lake Erie Islands. Did you know that there are a number of wineries on our islands? There’s Heineman’s, Put-In-Bay Winery and over on Kelley’s Island, the Kelley’s Island Winery. And there are even more over on the mainland shoreline, not to mention other inland wineries in Northeast Ohio.

There are lots of advantages to attending the Island Wine Fest. And I’m not just talking about a day out with friends on a picturesque Ohio island. You see, with over 400 wines to try (note: do NOT attempt to try them all, ok?) you can go a little wild with your tastings. For instance, don’t you just hate it when you buy a bottle and get it home and then realize that you just don’t like the wine? At a wine festival, tasting that wine will only cost you a wine ticket or two, so you aren’t out the cost of that entire icky bottle. Plus, if you bring three friends like I do, one of you is bound to like it so all you have to do is hand over your glass and tell her to finish it for you. Ever wanted to just splurge on a really expensive bottle of vino, but weren’t sure your taste buds would be happy? Well, that bottle is a lot more accessible when you are only paying 3 tasting tickets for it. At our last Island Wine Fest, I got to sample Cabernet Sauvignon from an $82 a bottle brand. I was also introduced to Garnacha, a Spanish wine that I’d never tried before, and really liked!

I absolutely recommend that you save the date and try and make it out to Island Wine Fest. The islands are as stunning in fall as they are in summer. You can get more information on it at the Put-In-Bay Chamber of Commerce Site. For info on ferries, check out the Miller Ferry Schedule.

If you go, let me know how you liked it…or better yet, look for us there. We’ll be the group of four ladies having a wonderful, wonderful time!

Check out my other wine reviews at The Winey Mom.

Full Winey disclosure: This year, we will once again be the guests of The Miller Boat Line. My friends there absolutely know how to show a bunch of moms a wonderful day.